


Getting to Know You

by Tsaiko



Series: From Villains to Allies [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU of an AU, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Blindness, Explicit Language, Implied/Referenced Violence, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Red is a shit, Smoking, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Superheroes, Supervillains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22616569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsaiko/pseuds/Tsaiko
Summary: Rus isn't sure he's comfortable with the fact that he's getting more comfortable around Edge.
Relationships: Papyrus/Papyrus (Undertale), Stretch/Edge, US!Papyrus/UF!Papyrus
Series: From Villains to Allies [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1385578
Comments: 15
Kudos: 48





	Getting to Know You

Rus woke up, opened his eyes, and saw... nothing.

Yep. Still in the same shitty situation as yesterday. Three days and Rus was still blind. Every day he opened his eyes and saw nothing made it harder to get up out of bed. He did it anyway. Rus wasn't sure how much longer that little trick was going to work, but it was working for now. Small victories and all that shit.

Having something of a routine helped. The smell of freshly brewed coffee helped more. Rus pulled his hoodie on over his head. He'd left it on the chair last night right before bed. It smelled familiar: smoke, detergent, and a bit of sweat. It smelled of home.

All the other articles of clothing he wore had either been washed by Edge or borrowed from Edge. They smelled... not bad, but different. Edge used a different brand of detergent than Blue did. It was another reminder that he wasn't home. When Edge had asked about washing Rus's hoodie, Rus had immediately pushed back. The subject was dropped. Rus didn't have the words to explain why it was so important. He needed this.

The bathroom was Rus's first stop. He splashed water on his face to wake himself up a bit more and brushed his teeth to get rid of the nightly filmy, sour taste in his mouth. The water didn't really wake him up. Only coffee would do that. At this point in was more habit than anything. The toothbrush and toothpaste were provided by Edge. It was another unexpected generosity that Rus wasn't sure how to repay.

Then Rus headed downstairs. Rus used the banister for guidance as he went down. The fourth stair from the top creaked under his weight. Sixteen more steps and he was on the first floor. There was bare wood under his feet. Three steps to the right and Rus felt the edge of an area rug. It helped him orient himself.

Now that he was on the first floor and closer to the kitchen, Rus could smell something sweet baking. He could also hear Edge moving around the kitchen. He had no idea if Red was around. It was hit or miss on whether the asshole showed up for breakfast though Rus could practically set his watch by when Red showed up for dinner.

"Have a seat," Edge said as soon as Rus was in the doorway. "Or at least come in to the kitchen. Don't hover. I can get you coffee."

"i can get it myself," Rus replied. That has been their first really big argument. Rus got enough coddling from his brother. He didn't need it from Edge.

"You know where the mugs are. The sugar is on the table."

"no honey?" Rus asked just to hear Edge's sound of disgust. The mugs were easy to get to with only a little fumbling around in the top cupboard. Pouring the coffee was harder. Rus always burned his fingers either on the pot or when he was trying to judge how full his mug was. Today was no exception.

Still, burned fingers were better than pouring coffee all over the counter. Rus cradled the mug in his hands, letting the warmth seep into his bones. Next stop was the table.

He found one of the chairs around the table with his knee cap. Someone had moved it a few inches to the left. Rus suspected Red, but there was no way to prove it. He managed to sit down without missing the chair entirely. Doing that once was enough wounds for his pride, thanks. Skimming his hand over the table was how he located the sugar bowl. There was no silverware.

"can i have a spoon?" Rus could just pour it straight from the bowl, but he'd make a mess. He always did. If he was back home, Rus would do it anyway just to hear his brother scold him.

Fuck. Rus never thought he'd miss his brother's scolding.

"Here." Edge deliberately set the spoon down hard on the table so Rus could locate it. He still fumbled the spoon as he got the lid off the sugar and the sugar in his coffee. 

Edge was doing his best to accommodate Rus without babying him. Rus appreciated it more than Edge could know. When Edge spoke again, his voice was fainter, like he was facing away from him. 

"The muffins in the oven are almost done. I have to go into work at the bakery today. Tomorrow is Saturday and there's a lot of prep work to be done. I may need to go in tomorrow as well. There's a meal made up in a microwaveable container on the top shelf of the refrigerator you can have for lunch. Just put it in for a few minutes. I'll have Red check in on you in case you have any trouble."

Rus paused with his cup of coffee half way to his mouth. "wait. today is friday?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"no." Rus swallowed against the lump in his throat. Blue was due to come back home today. How would he react when he realized Rus wasn't there? "i thought it was thursday. i lost a day somewhere."

"Ah." Rus could hear Edge moving around. The oven door opened and closed. Not too long after that, he heard a plate being set on the table near his elbow. "A muffin. It's still hot so be careful."

"thanks." The muffin was still hot. Almost too hot. Rus pulled it apart and immediately had to shake his fingers to cool them down. He was still considering the best way to break the muffin up to bite size pieces without burning his fingers (again) when the rest of what Edge had said penetrated. "wait. you work at a bakery?"

"Yes." Rus grinned, ready to revel (heh) in that revelation. Then he paused. Edge's response had sounded... guarded was the best word. He could be an asshole and poke at what was obviously a sore topic.

Or he could try and be a decent monster to the guy who was helping him out. Imagine.  
"i'm not surprised. you seem to like baking." Rus tore a piece of the muffin off and popped it in his mouth. It was still a bit too warm, but Rus didn't care. The muffin was blueberry, a perfect mix of sweet and tangy. "holy shit that's good."

"Thank you." Edge still sounded cautious, but less guarded. Fair enough. Rus wasn't exactly known for his tact. "Would you like another?" Instead of answering, Rus made grabby hands in the direction of Edge's voice. Edge laughed, and Rus did his best to ignore how please the sound made him.

*******

Rus was sitting on the back porch of Edge's house – in a rocking chair of all things – when he heard the distinct sound of a short-cut. There were only two monsters besides himself that could use short-cuts. He doubted Sans had ever been on Edge's back porch. So that left only one culprit.

"little late for lunch," Rus said. "what's wrong? get tied up pickpocketing orphans and terrorizing old ladies?"

"I'm wounded. I was pickpocketin' old ladies and terrorizin' orphans." Rus could trace Red's location by the sound of his shoes on the wooden planks. "'sides, didn't know we have a date. Woulda worn my dress sneakers instead of my doc martins."

"as if i'd date you," Rus replied. He took a drag off his cigarette, letting the smoke burn in his chest cavity before politely blowing it out away from Red.

"Bitch, you should be so lucky." The sound of a chair groaning let Rus know Red had taken a seat. "Boss is goin' to shit a kitten when he finds out you've been smokin' on the porch."

"he told me i could." Red snorted. Rus shrugged. It was the truth. Not his fault if Red didn't believe him. There was a brief pause, rustling, then the sound of a lighter. Suddenly, Rus could smell another cigarette. "are you smoking?"

"Figured you're already doin' it. Boss'll just blame you when he smells it."

"fuck you," Rus said. They sat together in silence. Rus wouldn't call it companionable, but it wasn't tense either. Or at least it wasn't until Red opened his mouth.

"So what do you want from the Boss?"

"nothing." Which wasn't true. Rus realized that as soon as he spoke. "when i came here, i wanted his help and his protection. still do. at least until this... " Rus gestured at his face with the hand holding the cigarette. "... until this is resolved."

"Uh-huh." Red said the words like he wasn't buying whatever Rus was selling. "Why didja come to him?"

"i needed help." Rus felt his shoulders tensing, and deliberately relaxed them. "i didn't know who else to go to. not when i was pretty sure i had trackers on me. which i did, by the way."

"I don't believe you," Red didn't sound mad. Hell, he didn't even sound annoyed. Bored. Maybe a little amused. It immediately put Rus on edge. Hah.

"i don't care if you believe me."

"You should care." Said in the same bored, slightly amused tone. Rus tried to listen for a hint of a threat. He didn't need to bother. Red just came right out with it. "Because if you drag my brother into your shit or fuck him over in any way, ain't no one in the world who's goin' be able to find your dust."

Rus opened his mouth to respond, closed it, and opened it again. "is this a shovel talk?"

"You ain't that important," Red replied. "It's more of a trowel chat."

"you think i'm trying to seduce edge?" Rus said. Nope. Saying the words out loud didn't make them sound any less crazy. 

"Fuck you for makin' me think about it," Red said sourly. "Oughta dust you just for that. Save myself the trouble of doin' it later."

"I'm not trying to seduce your brother." Rus wasn't sure how Red had arrived at that conclusion. He and Edge didn't have that kind of relationship. Sniping didn't count as flirting, even if their barbs had mellowed over the last several days. He also wasn't sure how he felt about it. If Rus wanted to play some horizontal xylophone with Edge's bones he could do a lot better than what he had been doing. He wasn't that incompetent.

"Sure. You're just bein' nice to him because you’re the friendly type."

"no, i'm being nice because he's doing me a favor and i am kind of dependent on him." The words sounded more bitter than Rus meant them to. "i might be an asshole, but i'm not stupid."

"What are you doing smoking on the porch?"

Rus flinched, his soul going ice cold in his chest. Fuck. He hadn't heard Edge approach. How long had he been standing there? How much had he heard? One day Rus was going to learn to just keep his damn mouth shut. Today was not that day. 

"Heya Boss." At least Red sounded just as rattled as Rus did. "I was just checkin' up on the honeybun like you asked. 

"I asked you to look in on him at lunch." Edge did not seem impressed. "How long have you been here?"

"Awhile," Red said. Evasive. 

"Stretch?" Edge asked. Rus shook his head. Nope. He knew a pit trap when he saw one. So to speak.

"uh-uh. leave me out of this." He gestured between where Red's voice had come from and where Edge was standing. "this is all you two."

Obviously, Edge was taking Rus at his word. His next question was directed at Red. "I've told you before not to smoke on the back porch."

"He started it," Red replied.

"real mature," Rus said dryly back. "what part of leave me out of this do you not understand, jackass?"

"He can smoke on the back porch." Edge barely paused long enough for Red's noise of outrage to fade. "I'm not going to make him go out into the yard or sit on the front porch where anyone could walk by when he can't see. You don't have that excuse."

"Whatever. Gotta head out anyway, Boss." The last word was said with enough venom that it was almost a curse word. There was the faint sound of a cigarette being put out in the ash tray. "It's been fun chattin, Stretch. See you around."

"a pleasure," Rus said. He didn't even get the words completely out before Red short cutted away. "your brother is a real piece of work sometimes."

"He is. He has his reasons though," Edge replied. He didn't sound upset by Rus's words. More resigned. "You don't need to tell him anything you don't want to. Red won't hurt you while you are under my protection."

"okay, yeah, how much did you hear?"

Edge didn't respond to Rus's question. "I'll need to start dinner soon. You're welcome to stay out here or you can come inside and keep my company."

"edge?" Rus asked. Silence. He could confront this thing head-on, push Edge until he said something. Or he could be the coward he was and let it go. Rus always did choose the path of least resistance. "give me a second to finish. i'll come in."

"Of course." Maybe Rus was just imagining how pleased Edge sounded. "Take all the time you need."

**Author's Note:**

> At some point I need to go back to the earlier chapters and re-do some of Red's dialogue. Because I figure that Underfell has rounded the rough edges of their fonts in a way that didn't happen in Undertale of Underswap. Laziness wins for today though. It ain't happening.


End file.
